How to ascertain whether an employee is being employed under a “continuous contract”, if his employment period straddling the effective date of the new requirement (“468 rule”) ?

Labour Department

To ascertain whether an employee is being employed under a “continuous contract”, he has to be employed continuously by the same employer for four weeks or more and has met the working hours requirement.

The new continuous contract requirement ( "468 Rule") will be applicable from 18 January 2026. For an employment period before this date, an employee is still required to be employed continuously by the same employer for four weeks or more and has worked for at least 18 hours or more each week to meet the “continuous contract” requirement. For an employment period straddling the effective date, the respective working hours thresholds are set out below :

Employment period	Working hours threshold of “continuous contract” requirement
Before 18 January 2026 (Before the new requirement is applicable)	Has worked for at least 18 hours in each week.
On or after 18 January 2026 (After the new requirement is applicable)	Working hours fulfil one of the following requirements : An employee has worked for at least 17 hours in each week; or (Where an employee has worked less than 17 hours in any week) he has worked for 68 hours or more in a 4-week period (Note) comprising that week and the 3 weeks next preceding that week. (Note) The employee has been employed by the employer concerned during this 4-week period.